rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

Just when I think I'm getting comfortable with LR it seems to know!

Prior to upgrading to Win 10 I moved some files around from C: to my two external hard drives. This caused a bit of hiccup which has now been resolved and I don't believe the present problem to be related.

I have been processing files from a recent cruise in chronological order and have now reached the last set / directory.
Lightroom will not allow me to import these since it apparently thinks they have already been edited. Now since I do these in order and am certain I've never entered these I was a bit taken aback by this and then began to wonder if after all I was mistaken. So I searched the drives. Only the CR2s are to be found.
My question is how do I re-educate Lightroom to allow importing these or do I have to create a new Catalog?

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

I do not follow the "search drives and CR2s " part.

Do not think you need a new catalog, possibly just make adjustments to folder(s) ... but all changes from within Lightroom.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Are you hitting the "duplicate file name" problem?

If you're trying to import and copy with LR, maybe you can change the destination folder?

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

This was just a confirmation that the edited (jpg) files don't exist. I 'knew' they didn't but you know how that can work sometimes.

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

I'm not aware of a 'duplicate filename' issue although I do know that several of these files are using numbers previously used by the camera. But the earlier edited files are all showing up with a suffix appended (presumably by LR).

R.G. Loc: Scotland

If they are files with the same numbers, Lightroom will think they are different versions (RAW, edited) of the same image. If there are lots of files with repeated file ID numbers, you can tell LR to NOT reject apparent copies.

lloydl2 Loc: Gilbert, AZ

i have a very basic question about your workflow. it sounds like you are importing raw images, editing them, exporting them as jpgs and then reimporting the edited jpg? My question is what is your purpose for doing that? I only export photos that I want to display on the web or print or email someone.. lightroom has your original raw files and all the edit steps you took stored in the catalog... you can go to your photo in lightroom with all the edits applied if and when you ever need to use it for anything that requires it to be outside the lightroom environment.. You'll use less disk space and have a smaller catalog this way too.. So if you have a reason for doing this i'd like to understand as i too like to learn new and better ways of doing things...

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

I'm sorry I seem to have made the situation appear more complicated than it is.
My normal workflow is as follows:
1) Using FastStone create 2 directories. e.g. 2016-02-20-HawksInCanyon and below it Selecn
2) Using FastStone I sort and compare in sets of four to tag the selection I will edit.
3) The tagged files are copied to Selecn. Lightroom is loaded and the files in Selecn selected for Import.
4) A preset is chosen and the files given keywords and the import completed.
5) After editing is complete the files are exported as jpg to a subdirectory. Using the above example this would be LEeditCanyonHawks.
6) This set will probably be reviewed again in FastStone and a subset selected for upload to my SmugMug account.

In the case of the files I wish to Import none of these steps have been taken and I'm at a loss to explain why LR thinks this has been done although this isn't really very important since the only issue is how do I get Lightroom to let me reset it to accept the files or perhaps as I wondered initially do I have to create a new Catalog, (perhaps trying a merge later?)?

lloydl2 Loc: Gilbert, AZ

Personally I think your workflow is way more complicated then it needs to be. By nature of the fact that you are creating directories and folders and sub folders in faststone and then importing only select folders/sub folders into lightroom and then exporting jpgs to yet another folder/sub directory (not clear if the exported jpgs are then imported as edited files back into lightroom or not?)

Lightroom can do all of this for you. You can import your cr2 raw files right from the camera and have lr place them into what ever folders you want (I do mine by date). Using the LIbrary module you can view compare, select, and mark using starts, or colors the photos you want to process further You can then create a collection and have all the keepers and processed photos appear in the collection with a name that indicates the subject, location etc. (collections are virtual copies and don't take up additional storage space on your drive. In this way all of your photos are managed in one place and by one piece of software designed to do just that. Your edits are preserved in the catalog and are non destructive and at any time you can export finished photos for email smug mug, printing, posting on the web etc.

Please note that the Lightroom catalog does NOT house your imported photos only a pointer to them and then the catalog keeps the instruction files for the edits that you've performed. for complete safety you should back up your original photos from the folders you import them into and also backup the Lightroom catalog both to disk drives that are different from the ones where the originals are stored..
Maybe if you provide some screen shots of your folder structure and the import dialog that is giving you the error we might be able to help you find a resolution...

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

I do understand how Lightroom works at perhaps a competent beginner level. I know that no files are stored in the catalogs and that these serve solely as repositories for information about them. I can use the Library Module but find it significantly inferior to FastStone for rapidly comparing files. I do back up my files - mostly to SmugMug. I do not use anything other than a completely normal tree structure. Files are stored by date. Drive:/Year/Month/Date+Location/. Major events such as vacations will be listed at the same level as the months. Below the Date+Location folders of CR2s lie the selections and edited files. I have no idea how to do you a screenshot outside of my browser but you should be able to sketch this out on a piece of paper. It's nothing unusual.
Again put simply the edits and Export that LR thinks I've done do not exist and never did and I need to Import these files and edit them.
I forgot to address your questions about the jpegs. These are exported directly from LR to a subdirectory of the one holding the originals and the directory name is entered into the box in the Export page.
I do appreciate your help and I understand that I might be doing things more efficiently if I worked completely within LR. I've done things quite successfully this way for many years and although I've put considerable time into learning the Library Module I still don't like it as well as my preferred MO.

lloydl2 Loc: Gilbert, AZ

Well I guess that what makes the world go round! If you are more comfortable using Faststone by all means use it. What exactly is happening when you try to import your photos into lightroom I assume you are selecting your source file as the selecn? and adding the photos to the catalog versus copy? are you getting some kind of error message? what exactly occurs? are you on a pc or Mac? do you have the do not import duplicates checked? Have you looked through the list of file folders from within lightroom library module to see if the photos you are trying to import are already there some how? were they ever imported from maybe a different drive at some point in the past? do you rename the photos as part of the import process?

You can do a printscreen (on a PC) there is usually a key for it over near the top of the keyboard on the right side above the insert key and then paste it into a phohto editor like paint and save it as a jpg to upload here this way we can see what your import dialog looks like and maybe pick up a clue.

Print screen instructions (PC)
When what you want to capture is displayed on the screen, press the Print Screen key. Open your favorite image editor (like Paint, GIMP, Photoshop, GIMPshop, Paintshop Pro, Irfanview, and others). Create a new image, and press CTRL + V to paste the screenshot. Save your image as a JPG, GIF, or PNG file.

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

Try batch renaming the problem files in FastStone.

Then try importing again in Lightroom.

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

Quick answer, (I'll try the screen copy later), In the Library screen I navigate to the CR2 file directory and click on Import. Everything is greyed out and cannot be selected.

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

Good thought if I can't get LR to behave itself I'll try this and let you know the result. It seems to me it should work.
You sound like another FastStone fan ;-)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

With Win 8 you have to press the Windows key along with Prnt Scr. I seem to remember you then have to find where the screenshot is stored. I can't remember exactly, but either it creates a folder called "Screenshot" in the Pictures library folder, or you have to create it yourself. But I seem to remember that Prnt Scr on its own didn't work in Win 8.

Another possibility is to use the Snipping Tool which you can place on your bottom toolbar (it's kept in the Accessories section). The Snipping Tool is handy for selecting only a section of the screen.

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